Study Shows How Gut Microbiome Interacts With Oral Therapies in Prostate Cancer Patients

Gut microbiome may influence how prostate cancer patients respond to oral drug abiraterone acetate, stated a new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University. The findings of the study are published in Nature Communications.

The research team suspected this is one of many examples of how the microbiome influences our response to drugs.

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‘The drug abiraterone acetate is metabolized by gut bacteria to reduce harmful organisms while promoting those fighting prostate cancer.’

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"Research is beginning to uncover the ways in which the human microbiome influences cancer development, progression and treatment," explains Brendan Daisley, a PhD candidate at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry who is conducting research at Lawson. "Our study highlights a key interaction between a cancer drug and the gut microbiome that results in beneficial organisms with anti-cancer properties."

"Unfortunately, traditional androgen deprivation therapies are not always effective," explains Dr. Joseph Chin, Lawson Associate Scientist, Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and Urologist at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). "In those cases, alternative therapies are explored."

"When drugs are taken orally, they make their way through the intestinal tract where they come into contact with billions of microorganisms," says Dr. Jeremy Burton, Lawson Scientist, Associate Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and lead researcher on the study. "While it's long been a mystery why abiraterone acetate is so effective, our team wondered if the gut microbiome plays a role."

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Study Details

The study included 68 patients with prostate cancer from LHSC. The patients group had those treated with abiraterone acetate and with traditional androgen deprivation therapies. The patients' stool samples were analyzed.

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Study Findings

Patients who took abiraterone acetate had altered gut microbiome. The gut bacteria metabolized the drug leading to an increase in Akkermansia muciniphila bacterium.

Abiraterone Acetate
Abiraterone acetate is used along with prednisolone (corticosteroid) for treating a type of prostate cancer called metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) previously called hormone-resistant cancer.

It works by blocking the effects of testosterone in the body and suppresses the cancer growth.

Akkermansia muciniphila bacteria

Referred to as next-generation probiotic.
Facilitated better response to cancer immunotherapy drugs.
Lead to higher vitamin K2 production, known for its anti-cancer properties.

"These findings clearly demonstrate that the gut microbiome is playing a role in treatment response," notes Dr. Burton.

In another study, researchers explored whether fecal microbiota transplants from a healthy donor can change the microbiome of melanoma patients to increase Akkermansia muciniphila bacteria and improve response immunotherapy.

"While more research is needed, we may one day be able to analyze a patient's microbiome to determine the best course of treatment or even influence the microbiome to improve outcomes," says Dr. Burton. "This could lead to a new frontier in personalized medicine."

Abiraterone acetate

It is a highly effective therapy used in prostate cancer treatment. It works to reduce androgens in the body. The drug is taken orally.

Source-Medindia